Movie Review: Disney’s “A Christmas Carol”
Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by chris in News
Last Friday night my wife and I joined some friends for opening night of the “new” movie from Disney, “A Christmas Carol”. It is the classic tale from Charles Dickens, done who knows how many times already in movie form. While the big push from the entertainment industry is to see movies in 3-D, we decided not to pay the extra money and saw it in regular fashion. The following are a few thoughts about the movie.
First of all, the movie is very well done when it comes to the animated side of things. It seriously amazes me just how advanced it all is getting. Gone are the days of Toy Story when animated movies were always cute, fun, and with some moral lesson usually built into them. These days animated movies seek to get as real as possibly and actually draw out truly suspenseful scenes. A Christmas Carol has some of the most tense/dramatic scenes I’ve seen from a animated movie yet.
I have not read the original book but have heard from several sources that this movie is the most true-to-the-book that has been made. The characters that are supposed to be scary are actually scary, to the point where your heart is racing a bit and you are sort of jumpy in some scenes. Since the animated movies I’ve seen are the likes of Shrek, Over the Hedge, and Ice Age, this was a surprise to me. Honestly, I’m not sure you want your 8 year old seeing the movie just yet… in my opinion, it really is that intense in some parts. However if it is true to the story then it does a great job brining out what Dickens likely wanted to be brought out.
There are several parts of the movie that Noelle and I chatted about on our way home. I don’t know Dickens’ spiritual state, whether or not he professed Christ or not. But the movie certainly had a spiritual element to it. the “ghost of Christmas present” was a jolly fellow, one you saw and just had to think “Jesus” when you saw him. He didn’t necessarily say he was Jesus in the movie but did make reference to not being associated with certain “men of the cloth”. The context, if I remember correctly, was the Scrooge was getting outraged as he saw the abuse of power from certain clergy in the visions he was shown (each ghost shows Scrooge scenes of either past, present, or future events that affect Scrooge’s outlook on life). Also, the spiritual realm was closely associated with people being chained down in some form of punishment for not using their lives well. It was not a direct reference to Hell per se, but it was very intriguing to see some form of after-life punishment for people portrayed in the film.
Overall, I’m glad I went to see the movie. It ends with a good message (don’t all Disney movies do that?), but takes you through the classic tale in phenomenal animated quality. I would suggest keeping an eye out for these spiritual parts of the movie because they are very intriguing. In th end, the Gospel message of Christ is not proclaimed in the slightest; in fact, Jesus Christ is not mentioned once so far as I can remember… and it is a Christmas movie! The message is a pretty moralistic one I suppose (do good and you will be blessed, don’t do good and your spirit will suffer after you die), which sadly passes as a Christian message in many people’s minds. The Gospel message of Jesus needs to be secured deep in our hearts – that we are sinners saved by grace, through faith, and this is a gift of God. We remember our Savior’s coming at Christmas, remember his sacrifice and his resurrection, and can rejoice in the fact that we do not need to fear the afterlife, for the One who controls this life and the next lives in us and has secured eternity with himself.
Rick
Nov 19th, 2009
Dickens was not a Christian, so I am not surpised that you did not find a reference to Christ in “A Christmas Carol”; it wasn’t there. Dickens was a typical 19th Century humanist, who lived in a “Christian Society” but believed in the perfectibility of man. He was anti-capitalist in a sense and wanted to right the wrongs caused by what he saw as inequities caused by capitalism, like the Progressives in the United States during the same period.
During that era, many “Christians” engaged in the “social gospel” that was primarily devoted to solving the problems of poverty, alcoholism, etc., ignoring that Christ was about solving problems of the heart. Much of what is now recognized as “liberal theology” draws its origin from this period and source.
Dickens was the most important and popular novelist of his day. I enjoy “A Christmas Carol” as much as the next guy, but I wouldn’t try to read Christ into it, as I am fairly certain that He isn’t there.
Kathy Heisleman
Nov 30th, 2009
I’m glad you told us the movie was too intense for kids! Who da thunk it? I agree with Rick in that there wasn’t a ‘Christian” message in the movie or in the original book.
But, I think it’s neat how you look at everything through the lens of the gospel, Chris!!
It is really a worldview kind of thing I think, and you are really good at holding up all things for examination against the Scripture, and you’re really good at seeing the similarities and differences!
I think it’s a great example of how to consider the ‘world’ analytically as a believer; it helps us not get sucked into side trails that derail us from out primary purpose of preaching and living out the gospel.
Thanks for the good lesson Chris!
Kate
Dec 20th, 2009
My husband and I also enjoyed the movie. But I would actually suggest that it’s a particularly Christian movie, in the sense that it gives a strong reminder to Christians. James tells us that pure religion is visiting widows and orphans, and Scripture often commands us to defend the poor and the helpless. And in the parable of the last judgement, what separates believers from nonbelievers is whether they fed the poor and clothed the naked – and in doing so, cared for Christ himself.
Throughout Scripture, God hears the cry of the poor and the oppressed. And at Christmas, we can remember that when Christ came, he communed with the poor and suffering, the underprivileged. He has come to make all wrongs right – to heal broken and sinful hearts, to save us from sin, but also to relieve the oppressed and downtrodden. And Christians can be a part of that mercy. I think Scrooge is a great example of Christ’s warning, that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a man who clings to wealth and oppresses the poor to enter the Kingdom.